Man charged in 2025 crash that killed 2 people, including LAPD sergeant

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged a 36-year-old man accused of killing an LAPD sergeant and another driver in a high-speed crash last year. 

Mario Joseph Bickham faces two counts of murder. He's being held on a $2 million bail. 

The deadly crash happened on June 23, 2025, after a hit-and-run driver disabled 34-year-old Jesus Garcia's Toyota pickup along the 405 Freeway in Brentwood. 

After another vehicle crashed while trying to avoid Garcia's truck, 53-year-old LAPD Sgt. Shiou Deng noticed the scene and approached the scene to help the drivers. 

Last year, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Deng activated his emergency lights to alert drivers. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said 33 vehicles safely drove past the area before Bickham sped down the freeway.

Investigators said Bickham was allegedly driving at 112 mph when he slammed into Deng's patrol SUV. The collision killed Garcia, who was standing outside of his truck when he was struck. Paramedics rushed Deng to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. 

Bickham suffered serious injuries but survived. 

Hochman said Bickham received multiple citations for speeding before the deadly crash, including one for driving more than 105 mph, a month before he allegedly slammed into Deng's patrol SUV. The DA said Bickham failed to appear in court for the citation. 

"I extend my deepest condolences to Sgt. Deng and Mr. Garcia's family and loved ones," Hochman said. "I want to emphasize that speeding kills. If you drive over 100 mph and kill someone, you are on a fast-track to a murder charge."

McDonnell said Deng spent more than 26 years in the LAPD, 17 of which were with the mental evaluation unit. He was made a sergeant in 2023 and assigned to the West LA division. 

"As we mourn, we also mourn Sergeant Deng's extraordinary legacy — a legacy defined by integrity, bravery, and an unwavering commitment to public service," McDonnell wrote in a statement last year. "His memory will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew him, served with him, and were protected by him."

Prosecutors said Garcia was driving home from work at the time of the crash.